buying by cuteness (and mycoplasma)

[baldrick]

Dont dont dont. The cute Silkie and 2 chicks I bought instead of the two POL Silkies? Do you remember? Hen a bag of bones "from sitting" and 2 sexed as pullets chicks....well, they started sneezing the next day. Thankfully Rottie and Wellie had only been with them a couple of hours before the sneezing and Id already seperated them coz she was evil to them. By Tuesday the newbies were all at deaths door. Upshot is vet says the clinical signs all point to mycoplasma and the hen has had it so long it is in her lungs and probably the air sacs of her bones too. One chick is still very poorly and the other is now virtually OK. They have had 2 jabs of tylan, oral tylan plus enough for the girls and Rottie and Wellie in case I carried it on my hands and clothes. That's £70 quid plus 2 more jabs to come plus a new extortianate and inadequate house that was all I could afford short notice for isolation plus a new run coz the cobbled isolation thing wasnt fox proof and the baby kept stopping me strengthening and cleaning it properly. They are now stinking in dog cages in the house until they have been seen on Monday and in the meantime Ive got to disinfect and creocote their house and chicken wire the bars so I can catch them without them necking themselves before they go back in. My husband is very tight lipped about the whole affair, my daughter is worried her pet is going to snuff it, the baby is frankly another means of turning a 60 minute chicken job into a 3 day one and Ive got 3 birds that, should they make it will always need to be seperate from my flock as they will always be at risk of a relapse when they will become infectious again. I know I should cull I know, but I can't. All I need now is for the two "sexed as pullets" to end up as cockerels............Frankly I wish Id never clapped eyes on them. Chickens, learning curve, nuff said!

[petal]

can you return them to where you got them? What are the 2 chicks? If they are silkie they cannot be sexed until about 20 weeks. They are a risk to the rest of your flock so need to be taken back really.Who are rottie and wellie?are they chickens?

[Glutton4...]

Send 'em back. Report the seller.

[baldrick]

Rottie and Wellie are the 2 chicks I hatched ages ago and kept in the living room instead of outside under the lamp. thankfully they are pullets coz the intention to eat the cockerels wouldnt have worked with them. They have imprinted very strongly on me, try to sneak under my "wings" and call to me whenever they see me. I will be absolutely devastated if they have got it. TBH I feel a bit guilty about the breeder. She is a hobby breeder and is very upset (tho still breeding for sale). She has put her flock on tylan, swears she has never had this problem before, says they will be clear in 7 days according to a breeder friend and sold me a bottle of tylan as a precaution for the others. She will also replace if they die (not that I want any more from there), so her heart is in the right place. Also my vet says while the birds are ticking all of the mycoplasma boxes, without lab tests you cant be certain. She didnt knowingly sell me sick birds as they were carrying it but probably wouldnt have presented without the stress of the move, so I feel a bit mean causing more grief, and very very stupid for buying them on a cursory glance that they were clean, in clean nice runs and happy looking. In fact I was stupid enough to let my daughter carry the hen to the car so I didnt feel how thin she was until the next day. I know I know Im really really stupid.Im not able to take them back as one of them is my daughters and we are all worried they will be culled. When the vet suggested an immediate cull my daughter after much discussion wants to go for palliative care. The chicks were vent sexed I think. She pays someone to come in and sex her chicks.TBH it wouldnt surprise me now if they are cockerels, and if they are they will have to go back.

[julesapple]

I agree with the others, BUT and it's a BIG BUT - I think you are incredibly brave to take all this on, especially with a baby and a family. Especially as you will have the extra run's worth of work every day too. And you really shouldn't feel mean when you have done so much already. You have also been brilliant in involving your daughter - I know how treacherous and expensive that can be.....got 9 chicks to prove it!

Well done you!

Jules

[polo]

I find that on many occasion that hindsight is a fabulous thing. I defy anyone who says they have never made a mistake. Seriously though = good luck with it all and hope it works out..

[baldrick]

thanks peeps. Little update to say they have pulled through so far, and are in an outdoor run at the other end of the garden so the chicken stink has gone from the house! Polly is now putting on weight and laying daily. She still had a slight wheeze on monday but only detectable by stethoscope. Otherwise she is symptomless. Rebecca's chick Inky is completely symptomless, and Harlie, the other chick sneezed twice yesterday, but is very lively. All are looking very furry and should be off to the allotment soon. Its been a total nightmare what with red mite and now this, but its not their fault and Im glad I gave them a chance. It will be a ball ache having seperate runs in the winter, but Rottie and Wellie will be in with the big girls by then. Bill for vet and medication and coop and run has left me reeling, but hey ho good education never did come cheap! Himself has personally fixed chicken wire etc up and is now chuffed to bits they have made it and ive stopped crying. Think it was the slur on his manhood that I paid for inferior stuff when he could have made better for a fraction of the cost.....when he found time.... lol!